Unwanted

14

"While some things still look the same, there has been some differences since you...have been gone." Father explains as we walk down the main corridor together.

We had eaten breakfast together and had casual conversation. It wasn't awkward really, but you can definitely still feel some of the strain in all of our relationships. After we ate, Father led me and Jacobi to the daycare center, informing my brothers that we would be meeting up with them later.

"Oh yeah? Like what?" I ask, not really paying attention, but still paying enough attention to make it seem as if i am following and engaging in the conversation. I mean we have all done it at one point or another.

"Well for one, everyone over the age of sixteen is required to train, even the women. The only people who do not train are children, elderly, injured, and pregnant women. We have decided that with all of the attacks we have had lately that we need to make sure everyone knows how to protect themselves." Father explains as we continue to walk. I can only guess where we are currently going.

"What do you mean all of the attacks? Has everyone been okay?" I aks as I think over what he has said. This pack has always been very peaceful, why would they be attack so often that they have resorted to forcing every person to be trained?

"Mostly we have been able to get by with only one or two of the warriors being injure, luckily no one has had their lives taken from them. The rogues have all started banning together to get rid of packs. We don't really know how they are doing this, or why. All we know is that for some reason they have this insane idea in their heads that this pack has done them wrong, which is far from the truth. Your mother and I always worked to keep this pack safe and peaceful, to everyone, including the rouges." Father seems very passionate in what he is saying and I know it to all be true. Mother would have never let father do something to cause uproar between this pack and anyone else.

"Did you ever think to consider Mother's death to be the first one taken by the rouges?" I aks softly as I grab father's arm to keep him from walking out the back door to where i know father holds all of the training exercises. Father is very tense underneath my hand and I pull it back slowly when I see I have opened up some wounds that might have been left better closed.

"I never thought to think...Before you told us of your vision we all assumed she died of, natural causes, I guess. If your vision is true, then that means that someone was able to get in here and kill my mate and the luna of this pack. If that is true, then that means they have declared all out war on this pack and we will not stop until we have annihilated every single one of them." Father seethes as his eyes slowly turn the alpha red color. My own eyes widen at the menacing tone father uses, but before I can say anything father is already whirling around and going out the door that leads to the training grounds.

"Father!" I call uselessly as I take a step to follow him. Like i suspected, Father does not stop and merges with the group of men, women, and teens all gathered around to prepare for their training for the day. I wince when I think of the rage I just saw in father's eyes. There is no way he is going to be anything but hard in the next few hours as he stews over what i just told him.

Maybe I should have just kept it to myself. I really did mess up telling him that in a time when we both seemed to be getting along. I was even engaging in a conversation with him that wasn't filled with sarcasm and dismissal! I honestly feel as if everytime we take one step forwards, I say something or do something, or react in a way that makes us take two steps back. No matter how cliche that is, I honestly feel as if I will never become anywhere near close with my father.

Logan, who is standing on the edge of the group, looks over to where I am still standing next to the open door. He gives me a puzzled look before raising his arm and motioning for me to come up next to him. I sigh in agitation at the fact that I just arrived and I already am being dragged into doing training, but also because I'm not really in the mood for it anymore.

Regardless, I find myself traveling across the small land of grass to stand next to my older brother. Whatever regrets I have about telling my father about my thoughts of how Mother was murdered and did not simply just die, I will have to put on the backburner if I want to be able to come out of this training session not feeling like complete crap and looking like it too. I was never really good at the whole hand to hand combat thing. I would rather just sit in the background and use some of my 'gifts' to get me by. But, that doesnt seem to be the option that I have. So i will suck it up, and allow myself to become the next punching bag for all of these people.